Malaga- A Birthday Getaway

Life should not only be lived, it should be celebrated. -Osho

As you know this year I turned 28 and had my golden birthday (turning 28 on the 28th). Click here to read a reflection of year 27- a year of many accomplishments. This is the birthday I have been dreaming about since I was a little girl. All of my friends seemed to have celebrated their golden birthdays at 7 or 10 or 12 and I kept waiting for 28. The dream I dreamed up for this birthday celebration was like no other. When I found myself alone in Poland for this monumental occasion I didn’t know what to do. I had to get out of Poland and I figured why not spend it exploring my favorite country in the world- Spain!

I was equipped with a brand new camera and a sense to close out a chapter of my life. As you probably know, the time before and after your golden birthday is vastly different. Such a huge life transition!

As I usually do, I didn’t really plan out this trip beforehand. I really like to arrive in a place and get a feel for it, explore on my own, and then consult google to see what sites I should see. Malaga is absolutely beautiful, I saw the most gorgeous of sites and was filled with such a sense of wanderlust!

Málaga Cathedral

One of the first things I stumbled upon was the gorgeous Málaga Cathedral. If you read my blog, then you know that I have a thing for churches (exhibit A, B, C). Some people say if you’ve seen one church, you’ve seen them all but I strongly disagree.

The Málaga Cathedral literally took my breath away. The way the light angelically lit up the interior was breathtaking. I could not get enough. I bought a ticket to climb the tower but it was very hot and I didn’t feel like climbing. Little did I know I would be scaling a large hill in about an hour and dying of heat in the sunshine.

Alcazaba of Málaga

After wandering away from the church I saw the entrance to the Alcazaba. The Alcazaba was built in the 11th century by the Hammudid dynasty. Ferdinand and Isabella (I know you’ve heard of them) captured Málaga back from the Moors during the Siege of Malaga in 1487. This was one of the longest sieges during the Reconquista. See, look at my Spanish minor coming in handy here! This site is extremely well preserved and absolutely gorgeous. One of the things I love most about Spain is all the mixing of architectural designs.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many pictures I took of the port. I just kept going higher and higher and taking more and more and more. The port is beautiful and I love how blue all of the water is. Simply wonderful!

The Perfect Birthday Spot

On my birthday all I wanted to do was sit and read a good book. I was, of course, finishing the book Sapiens. If you haven’t read it, I highly encourage it! The day was so calm and peaceful and one of the most beautiful ways I have ever celebrated a birthday. Sitting on this bench I read all day long. I was interrupted from time to time by old Spanish men who wanted to chat but I pretended I didn’t speak Spanish and went back to my reading. I need to find the perfect park like this in Krakow to sit and enjoy the day.

After finishing my book I wandered to the port. I think the next place I move to needs to be next to some sort of water so that I can lounge on the beach as much as I want. There is something special about sitting in the sand with the hot sun shining down on you and the waves rolling into the shore that brings happiness to my soul.